Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1887-08-04
A RUNAWAY TRAIN.
How Terrible Catastrophe Was Averts,
bya Boys Presence OF Mind.

There is a story in Vide Asodke Of q
boy, the fifteen-year-old son of loco
motive engineer, who had often ridden
with his father and ~knew the engine
pooty woll.n Indeed the engineer had
frequently let the boy "drive" on o
long stretch of straight track. One
night he left Dave in charge Of the en-
gine on siding while he went to sup
per as usual. There came up a furious
wind; and, after little some cars shot
by without any engine. The wind had
started them. Boy, think quick! Down
grade! The Lightning Express is to
come that way!
Nobody near. No telegraph wire.
The trains are headed together. There
is less than an hour to catch those rum
away cars and pull them out of the
way. No time for hesitation! He
springs to the lover, picks up speed and
tears away with grade and wind and
steam like whizzing arrow.
They are miles ahead. The rushing
minutes are full of sudden comprehen-
sion. He almost sees through the dark,
tempestuous night. What set him fly
ing toward this plunge was thought Of
the Lightning Express. Now danger
takes hold of him. What If he is Just
too late! The runaway train is in sight!
OF steam! No, on again! Let the
story-teller tell the rest.
He must slow up, but do it so nicely
that when he does come up with them
there shall be the least possible shock;
for here is the hardest part of the busi-
ness. He has nobody to help him
couple" He must be, for the once,
both engineer and switchman. He had
not thought what formidable job this
was until it stared him in the face.
On he flew, revolving the situation in
his head and adjusting his engine with
the incest care until he was upon the
very heels of the runaway; then, with
many misgivings, slipped out Of the
engine-house and crawled along the
side OF the locomotive and down ON the
"cow-catcher."
Here, seizing the long coupler in one
hand and holding on with the other,
he stood watching with breathless in
terest the approaching collision. The
suspense was agonizing. The situation
was perilous. A gust Of wind might
sweep him from his place; he might be
shaken off or crushed.
He was almost panic-stricken. A
dozen times he was at the point Of turn
ing back. To his startled ears the air
was full of uncanny sounds-the sweep
Of another tornado, the rush of the
Lightning" just ahead. But he had
in him the stuff which heroes are made
Of Tho hero, remember, is he who
is insensible to danger, but rather he
who feels and realizes, but yet over
comes it.
The Meteor" drew nearer and near.
or the flying train. Dave had used ex-
cellentj ntjudgmentin regulating its speed;
for at length it came up with the rear
car with scarcely shock, so that Dave
could reach over and drop in the pin.
Then clambering back into the engine
house he seized the "throttle." To his
amazement the train did not stop. In
stead of the "Metcor's'' stopping the
runaway, the runaway dragged the
"Meteor" along in its headlong flight.
Dave was horror-struck. He had thought
the train would stop at once. He had
not calculated what tremendous inn
petus all those heavy cars had acquired.
Now, then, the tussle! The train be-
gan to slow up. 1t came to standstill.
Then the backward pull. Slowly they
got under way; but the wind and up
grade were against them.
Dave began to get anxious. "The
Lightning" must be due by this time.
He kept a sharp lookout behind and
whistled like mad around the curves.
At length he entered upon the long,
straight, level line of road which cx-
tended clear to Blankton. Dave
breathed freer. 1t was the home
stretch-a good ten-mile run.
Hardly had he congratulated himself,
when far behind-but Enthusiastically
he heard the scream of "Lightning's"
whistle. He was going already at his
topmost speed. He was making not
more than thirty-five miles an hour,
while the Lightning was coming on
at the rate Of sixty. With horror he
heard it gaining on him; the next
whistle was nearer, and at length when
he had made only two-thirds the dis
tance the CLEAN of its headlight came
shooting round wooded curve in his
rear.
Out of the very despair Of the mo-
ment Dave gathered calmness. He
turned his back on the pursuing train,
he cast no look behind, he shut his ears
to Its on-coming roar; looked straight
ahead, kept his eyes on the track, his
mind on his duty.
He is almost there--he is there, ho
dashes past the station-house, across
the switch and down at last upon the
side track.
1t is all right Jake and Jim arc
there. They have thrown the switch
back in time; and the "Lightning''
goes whizzing and slrioking past.
When Jake jumped aboard the